1. Can you tell us a bit more about your role in the GreenVETAfrica project?

CNOS-FAP Federation offers vocational training to young people (aged 15-18) in almost all Italian regions (it has 62 vocational training centres) and in many professional sectors.

Its activity is not limited to secondary training to young people (with the assignment of a professional qualification), the Federation also provides continuous and distance training to its trainers. Through continuous training offered to its trainers, the Federation is able to offer high quality vocational training to the students attending the different VET centres.
The Federation provides in-presence training twice a year to its trainers in the various sectors, but also has a database of courses on transversal topics that CNOS-FAP operators can access remotely.

There are many courses to increase the level of quality of the training offered that the Federation has realised, many of these also in collaboration with external experts who have been working with CNOS-FAP for many years. It follows that the Federation has developed its own expertise in the area of training of trainers, with structures and methodologies already tried and tested and used in past years.

CNOS-FAP, in the Green VET Africa project, makes its expertise in training of trainers available to provide a coherent methodological and pedagogical approach and soft skills for training trainers (WP3), so that they will then be able to integrate these competences into the development of curricula for students.

2. What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the waste management sector in Africa?

Waste management is a key issue for all countries around the world since it has an impact on social, economic, and environmental dimensions. This issue in Africa appears particularly challenging in all countries, albeit with different levels of severity. In our opinion one of the biggest challenges facing the waste management sector in Africa is the lack of adequate infrastructure and resources. Many countries in Africa lack proper waste disposal facilities and equipment, leading to illegal dumping and littering of waste, which causes environmental pollution and health hazards. In fact among the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development the sustainable waste management approach appears as an environmental and public health imperative deserving political priority.

Current reasons for the poor management of waste in Africa, include, amongst others, weak organizational structures which result in inadequate collection and transportation of waste; lack of appropriate skills; insufficient financial resources; weak legislation; lack of enforcement; low public awareness; corruption, conflict; political instability; and lack of political will. Waste management is also hindered by inadequate policy frameworks and regulations, leading to a lack of coordination between stakeholders and the absence of effective enforcement mechanisms.

Furthermore, there is a lack of awareness and education among the public on the importance of proper waste disposal, which leads to indiscriminate dumping of waste in public spaces, streets, and waterways. This exacerbates the challenges of managing waste in African countries.

Overall, addressing these challenges will require significant investments in waste management infrastructure and equipment. However, through these gaps, many social and technological innovations have emerged that recognize the opportunity that waste provides as a secondary resource and also creating new jobs and business opportunities for the continent.

3. What do you think is going to be the biggest long-term impact of the project?

The challenges mentioned above are being tackled in the GVA project through a comprehensive strategy.

This strategy involves raising public awareness and providing education and training on effective waste management, involving the actors already working in this sector. We think that this project will have a twofold long-term impact mainly: on the improvement of the VET training in the field, strengthening also the technical profiles for the new emerging green jobs; enhancing the dialogue between local stakeholders and market actors and TVET institutions.

4. What do you think is the added value of addressing the Waste Management Industry’s issues through an international cooperation project?

Addressing the waste management industry’s issues through an international cooperation project can have significant added value. Waste management is a global issue that affects every country, and the challenges faced by the industry are often similar across different regions. In this perspective an international cooperation project can help to share knowledge, expertise, and best practices, leading to more effective and efficient waste management strategies.

In addition, the waste management industry is closely linked to environmental and public health issues. Improper waste management can lead to pollution of air, soil, and water, which can have far-reaching effects on human health and the environment. Hence, an international cooperation project can help to tackle these issues on a larger scale. Waste management also has significant economic implications, including job creation and revenue generation. An international cooperation project can help to develop sustainable waste management strategies that support economic growth while minimizing environmental impacts.

Finally, waste management is a complex issue that requires collaboration across different sectors and stakeholders. An international cooperation project can help to bring together relevant actors as government agencies, private companies, and NGOs from different countries, facilitating a multi-stakeholder approach to waste management. This can help to build trust and foster collaboration, leading to more sustainable and effective solutions, that go beyond the duration of the single project.